Ab Terry

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTH

AGE

SIGNED ON

FROM

DEBUT

LAST MATCH

LEFT

17-05-1934

N/A

17-02-1955

St. Helens B

18-04-1955 v Barrow

Hull K.R.

1961- Leeds

CAREER

APPEARANCES (SUBS)

TRIES

GOALS

DGOALS

PTS

1954-1961

216 (0)

27

0

0

81

BIOGRAPHY

Albert Edward Terry by Dave Dooley: Albert Edward Terry was born in St Helens on the 17th, May 1934. He was a stalwart for the club playing over 200 matches mostly as a prop. Abe was signed from the St Helens 'B' team on 17th., February, 1955 and made his debut in the last match of the season against Barrow on the 18th. April 1955. In 216 matches for the Saints Abe scored 27 tries, kicked no goals for a total points aggregate of 81 points.

He scored his first try for the first team against Dewsbury on February 15th.1956. Abe's first great match was against the Australian touring side on November 24th. 1956 when the Saints inflicted a record defeat on the tourists by 44 points to 2. The sight of Abe scoring a storming try was one that the 'Green and Golds' were going to have to get used to. It was no surprise when the 23 year-old Terry was selected along with four of his team-mates to make the 1958 Tour to Australia. I remember shortly after this tour attending an Eddie Waring Roadshow at the Carriage Drive Social Club (Pilkington Brothers) where the late BBC commentator projected 'cine film reels' of the then recent Test matches and gave his own personal recollections. A famous feature of the those test matches, which incidentally GB won 2-1, was the amazement of the 'Aussie' crowds at the speed of Abe Terry including a renowned long range try in which he outpaced certain Kangaroo backs. In all Abe gained 10 international caps for Great Britain. In addition, Terry won two caps for Lancashire.

On the 26th. of January 1957 Abe scored a brace of tries in the 59 points to 5 demolition of Barrow. As part of the formidable front row of Prescott, McKinney and Terry, Abe played a vital part in laying the foundations for many a Saints victory including the sensational 1959 Championship Final win by 44 points to 22 over a great Hunslet side.

By the time this hardworking, tough forward was a member of the 1961 Challenge Cup winning team that defeated Wigan by 12 points to 6, Abe had been joined in the front row by a young Cliff Watson and Bob Dagnall. Abe Terry and Vinty Karalius were the survivors of the great Saints pack of the mid 1950s and both can lay claim to have played in two of the best ever packs of six to have graced Knowsley Road. Abe also won a Lancashire Cup winners medal when the Saints defeated Swinton by 15 points to 9 in front of a crowd of over 31 000 at Central Park.

His final match for the Club was against Hull KR on the 2nd. of December, 1961. The season was a poor one by Saints standards and more indifferent form found several established players leave the club. Abe was subsequently sold to Leeds.